Promises Broken
by glitteringhopeless
Summary: Betty is tired of having feelings for Jughead Jones and him barely even noticing her. After being stood up at Veronica's birthday party, Betty is more determined than ever to make Jughead see her romantically.
1. Chapter 1

Betty isn't sure when her world stopped revolving around all things Archie Andrews.

She isn't sure when, instead of dreaming about Archie kissing her, she now wishes for another boy to even _notice_ her.

Maybe it was when she decided she was tired of Archie disappearing from her life completely whenever he was dating a girl or writing a new song.

Maybe it was because she was fed up of listening to Archie's problems, and him paying no mind to hers.

Whatever the reason, she was suddenly completely done with Archie. And completely interested in a certain Jughead Jones.

It was bittersweet, really. Although Jughead was a good friend to Betty – reliable, honest, kind, always looking out for her – He definitely had no interest in her romantically. Betty wasn't sure Jug was romantically interested in _any_ girl, if she was completely honest.

She wraps her lips round her pen lid and nibbles it distractedly. Jughead has just walked into the Blue and Gold office, wearing his signature beanie and braces. He pulls his shoulder bag over his head, barely sparing a glance at the dazed looking blonde at the opposite desk.

"Finished the article," he carelessly throws it on her desk, snapping Betty out of her daze and back to the present.

"Thanks, Juggie. I'll look over it tonight."

"Not too busy going to Veronica Lodge's birthday extravaganza?" His tone is mocking; he hates Ronnie for some unknown reason.

Betty slaps a hand to her forehead. "I completely forgot about that."

He grimaces. "I wish I could forget. Archie wants me to go, even though he knows I don't do formal dress."

Betty rolls her eyes jokingly. "It's hardly formal, Juggie. More smart casual."

She's playing it all off jokingly, but internally her heart is racing at the knowledge that Jug will be there tonight. She rarely sees him outside of school for anything other than sleuthing, this could finally be her opportunity to make him really notice her.

She knows it's a long shot, but Elizabeth Cooper is nothing if not determined.

"Let's not argue over the finer details. Point is, I don't want to go." Jug continues, oblivious to Betty's sudden look of determination.

Betty sighed, silently agreeing with him. "Please, Jug? I really don't want to be stuck with Ronnie and Archie all night alone."

"I'm sure Reggie or one of his equally dumb jock friends would be more than happy to keep you company."

His tone is almost bitter, as if he were… _jealous_? Betty dismisses this idea, telling herself it's because he pretty much dislikes the entire football team. But she can't ignore the faint spark of hope that gathers at the pit of her stomach.

"I don't want them to keep me company, I want you." Betty realises what she's just said, and quickly continues. "Please? For me? I'll do whatever you want!"

Jug looks at her for a moment. She returns his stare, watching his face carefully, trying to decide whether he looks convinced or not. But Jughead has always been hard to read, and a very private person, so Betty struggles to decode the expression on his face.

"Whatever I want?" Jughead's face turns to a mischievous smirk. "Like bake me those cookies you know I love?"

Betty smiles triumphantly. "It's a deal!"

She's standing in Veronica's bedroom, glancing at her reflection in the floor length mirror. Although it's casual, Betty has chosen to wear a delicate white sundress. The soft white material sets off the dewy tan of her skin, bronzed from days lying in the back garden slathered in carrot oil. Her hair is down for once, part of it swept back with a bow. She has painted her lips a bright bubblegum pink. She looks young and pretty and hopes it will be enough for Jughead to suddenly wake up and notice her.

Her stomach sinks a little, knowing that this is highly unlikely.

"You look so cute, Betty," Veronica coos, waltzing in wearing a tight black dress.

Betty smiles politely at the black haired girl, secretly wishing she could pull off the clothes her friend wore.

"When are your guests arriving?"

She banishes all negative thoughts. This is supposed to be a party, after all.

"Archie text to say he's on his way. I expect the others won't be far behind him."

No sooner has Veronica said this than the doorbell begins to ring. She excuses herself to greet her guests, leaving Betty to once more stare at her reflection and pray for a miracle.

Sometime later, after being forced out of the bedroom by Veronica, Betty finds herself in the sitting room, now full of people from school. She hovers by the drinks and snacks table holding a tinfoil wrapped tray of her cookies, baked especially for Jughead this afternoon. She searches desperately for the familiar grey beanie, but he is nowhere to be found. Her stomach sinks despite her telling herself he's probably just late. Would he really just not show up?

"Hey, Betty."

She forces herself to look from the doorway to the person standing infront of her. It's Archie.

"Hi," she smiles awkwardly.

She hasn't spoken to Archie in a few weeks. Veronica told her that he'd been disappointed by her complete lack of contact, which only served to annoy her further. Why couldn't Archie reach out? Why was she the one always making the effort in this friendship?

"Why are you standing over here by yourself? Come sit with us," Archie's expression is pleading, and she almost feels guilty. Almost.

The "us" he is referring to is the group of people sitting away from everybody else. This group is made up of the entire football team, Veronica, Cheryl Blossom and a few other cheerleaders. The thought of sitting with them makes her want to leave altogether. She's not mentally prepared for Cheryl's sly remarks and backhanded compliments.

"I was looking for Jughead… I baked him cookies."

Betty felt pathetic even saying that. But Archie's look of pity is what really made her feel like an idiot.

"Jug? He's not coming."

"But he said… He _promised._ " Betty feels a sudden spark of anger, so unlike her usual sweet and patient temperament.

"Betty," Archie sighs, running a hand through his hair. "He was never intending to go. He told me he'd come, too… He's just trying to get us off his back. But you know Jug, he's not really one for socialising."

Archie fakes laughter, trying to make light of it all, trying to get the murderous expression off of her face, but she can't bring herself to play along. She's tired of hiding her feelings, of being nice to everyone, of being everyone's doormat to walk all over.

But he _promised._

She looks at her sandal-clad feet, suddenly feeling very small and very silly.

She really thought he would come.


	2. Chapter 2

After her conversation with Archie, Betty no longer feels in a partying mood. She manages to sneak off to the guest room where, after removing the light make-up she'd worn especially, she falls into a restless sleep.

The next morning starts with a bang. Literally. Veronica throws open the door dramatically, making it batter against the wall, startling Betty awake.

"Rise and shine! We don't want to be late for school."

Betty glances at her wrist watch and realises she's slept in. This is odd as she's usually such a morning person. It's surprising to her that Veronica apparently is, too.

"Earth to Betty! You've missed breakfast. Get a move on or we'll be late!"

Veronica's incessant nagging finally motivates Betty to get up.

After the quickest shower of her life, she frantically dries herself off. She ponders borrowing something from Veronica before sighing and throwing on her rumpled dress and shoes from last night. They'll have to do. She barely has time to run a brush through her hair and shrug on a cardigan before Veronica grabs her arm and tows her out to the waiting car.

"For God's sake, Betty. What's gotten into you? We still need to stop for my morning latte."

She chooses not to answer, instead staring out the window for most of the drive, only tearing her eyes away momentarily to request a tea alongside Veronica's latte. Veronica herself is too distracted on her phone to notice Betty's sombre mood.

By the time they arrive at school it's too late for Betty to head to the Blue and Gold like she usually does before class. She's not sure if this is a good or a bad thing; she's not usually one to avoid her problems.

After running to her chemistry class, she throws her teacher an apologetic smile before sitting down, panting and five minutes late.

From there it just snowballs.

She has that feeling where you're late and unprepared and throughout the day it just feels like you never really catch up.

Chemistry passes by in a blur. Betty forgot to do the homework. Her teacher lets her off with a warning since this is her first offence.

English, she has a pop quiz. Betty forgot to study. She's lucky that To Kill A Mockingbird, the subject of the quiz, is one of her favourite books.

Finally, salvation – In the form of lunch – Rolls around. Betty, armed with a Tupperware container filled with cookies, goes on a hunt for Jughead.

(It's not much of a hunt. She finds him in the Blue and Gold, working away on something.)

She walks in, not looking at him. She's worried if she does she'll explode. Although she's angry, she doesn't want to yell at him.

"Where were you this morning? Ethel came by to give you an interview. She was disappointed you weren't here."

Betty runs a hand through her, most likely, messy blonde curls, still not looking at him as she speaks.

"I slept in. I'll talk to Ethel after school."

Ethel is helping her with a piece on teen bullying, with a focus on social media. It's supposed to be the front page article for the upcoming issue.

There's a pause, forcing Betty to look at Jughead. He's staring at her intently, almost as if trying to figure her out.

"What? Am I not allowed to be late?" She snaps, feeling the pressure of the day weighing down on her.

Jughead raises his hands. "Woah! Down, girl."

It's a phrase often used by Veronica. Betty feels her eye twitch at being patronised by Jug, someone she thought was her friend.

 _As if you're so innocent. You broke your promise. You're the reason I'm so angry._

But in the blink of an eye, her anger deflates and turns to exhaustion. She's exhausted walking around angry. It's not who she is. And it was silly of her to think that she could suddenly change that.

"Sorry, I've had a stressful day."

And just like that, she's crying. Like an _idiot._ Infront of _Jughead_. She's mortified, but at the same time it's so cathartic to let it all out. All the stress and anger of her altogether awful day so far.

Instantly, Jug is by her side, awkwardly patting her shoulder.

"Hey, it's ok. Calm down."

She sobs helplessly, cringing at how uncomfortable he is with this entire situation. Archie would at least offer her a hug. Either that didn't occur to him, or he didn't want to hug her. She isn't surprised, she's probably a sight for sore eyes in her rumpled sundress with messy hair.

As if reading her mind, Jughead hesitantly wraps his arms around her. The shock from this action alone is enough to make her tears stop, but she gratefully returns his hug, all the same.

All too soon, Jug is pulling away and shuffling back to his desk, pretending nothing has happened.

"So, I know we're doing the bullying piece for the front page, but I was thinking we could do a bit about Josie and the Pussycats getting a new member for page two."

But Betty isn't even listening. How can he go from comforting her to talking about work? Why is he always so cold towards everyone? The longer she's forced to sit in this office, pretending that everything is fine, the more likely she is to go completely mad. With that in mind, she pulls the box of cookies out her bag, walks over to his desk, and places them infront of him.

"I baked these for you."

She watches his face fall, feeling ever so slightly pleased that he's finally realised he did something wrong. Finally dropped that uninterested and uncaring mask he constantly wears.

With that, she takes her leave. It's a nice day, maybe she'll go and sit with Veronica.

After school she stays to interview Ethel. They talk for a while after, and Ethel's dark humour and dry wit reminds her so much of Jughead. It's both comforting and sad at the same time.

She doesn't have time to dwell as there's a football game tonight. She's recently become a member of the River Vixens with Veronica, so will be required to cheer on the sidelines. Rushing to the changing rooms, she quickly throws on her uniform and pulls her hair back with the mandatory blue ribbon.

During this process, it occurs to her that Jug will probably be there to cover it for the paper. She'd assigned him all sports related articles, knowing she'd be too busy cheering at all of them to carry out interviews or take pictures. Despite everything, she gets butterflies in her stomach at the mere thought of seeing him. She's in deep.

Out on the pitch, a light drizzle has begun. But Cheryl Blossom is dictator-like in the way she runs her squad, and still demands they carry out the routines they've practiced flawlessly. Betty is too busy concentrating on not slipping or sliding during stunts and lifts that she barely even notices Jughead skulking about. Barely.

Despite the poor weather conditions, the bleachers are filled with people coming to watch the game. A cheer goes up as the Riverdale Bulldogs run out with Archie leading. Betty can't help the small, proud smile that graces her face at the sight of her red-headed friend.

The game kicks off. Betty tries to look interested, but she really has no love for football. Half time comes and Betty prays that Cheryl will skip their halftime routine and let everyone go try to dry off a little. No such luck.

"If you think this weather is an excuse to slack off, then you're sadly mistaken," she hisses at them all.

Betty resists the urge to roll her eyes, not wanting to be at the receiving end of a Cheryl Blossom tirade. Instead, she forces a smile to her face. Cheerleaders are supposed to be perky, right?

The smile falters when she sees Jughead. He's standing to her left, camera out to suggest he's been photographing the game, staring at her. He has that same intense expression on his face, as if he's trying to figure her out. Like she's a puzzle he has to solve.

"Betty! Are you paying attention?" Cheryl has noticed Betty's straying gaze, and doesn't care for it one bit.

"Yes, Cheryl."

"Then get into position. NOW!"

Betty doesn't need to be told twice.

This routine is their newest one. It involves a lot of lifts, and Betty is a little nervous about it all. The rain hasn't let up, making visibility low, and Betty wonders if anyone will even _see_ their routine let alone care about it.

All the same, she throws herself into it, forcing a smile throughout. They're about halfway through, Betty has just been thrown into the air. She's supposed to be caught by her partner.

Supposed to be.

Unbeknownst to her, after throwing her into the air, her partner has slipped and fallen. Leaving Betty to land, hard, on the muddy pitch. She feels her wrist give slightly, and then pain.

There's a crowd around her immediately, Veronica at the head of it.

"Oh my god, B, are you ok?"

Betty stares at her wrist. It's bent at an unnatural angle.

"I-I'm fine," she tries to hide how close she is to tears.

Before Veronica can say anything, Jughead is there. And then he's all she can see.

"Betty? Are you okay?"

His face is pale, devoid of his usual mask of indifference. Jughead looks _worried._ About _her_.

Despite the pain, Betty's face lights up.

"Did she hit her head?" Jug shouts over his shoulder, looking confused at Betty's misplaced enthusiasm.

"I'm fine, Juggie. I think I hurt my wrist." She pouts.

Jughead gives her an odd look, before glancing at her wrist.

"You need to get this looked at. I'll take you."

Then, to Betty's shock, he gently puts an arm round her waist and helps her to her feet. She obediently stands and walks over to the bleachers. Nothing else seems damaged, just some grazed knees.

Jug produces a first aid kit from somewhere. Now it's Betty's turn to look confused.

"No offense, Jug, but I think this wrist needs attention from an actual trained medic."

He rolls his eyes at her. "It's for your knees."

Before she can even process it, Jug is kneeling infront of her, grasping one of her legs.

She'd be lying if she said that she didn't feel tingles at his touch on her bare skin.

He cleans her wounds, wiping the dirt and gravel off of them more gently than she could've imagined.

"You're a natural," she comments.

"I used to do this for Jellybean a lot," he laughs quietly.

Betty feels sad for him, suddenly. She knows about his mom leaving and taking his little sister with her.

He stands up, back to his usual collected self.

"I'll drive you to the hospital."

She doesn't argue.

After a long night at accident and emergency, Betty is given a wrist splint and told not to do anymore cheerleading for the time being. They also give her some pretty strong painkillers.

When she gets out of the examination room, Jughead is waiting with her coat and bag. Her parents are nowhere in sight. Both of them are probably too busy working to even check their phone.

She's so overwhelmed by how kind and gentle he's been with her that, before she can stop herself, she wraps her good arm around him in a hug.

He tenses slightly, surprised by her touch, before returning it awkwardly.

"Thanks, Jug. You didn't have to do all this," she cuddles into his chest, still feeling a little dazed.

He's so warm and she's so cold from her wet cheer uniform clinging to her. She allows a small moment of indulgence at his expense.

"It was the least I could do," he mumbles down to her, where she's still squeezing the life out of him.

She pulls away and looks up, brow furrowed in confusion. The painkillers have kicked in, making her a little hazy and less sharp than usual.

"I'm sorry I didn't go to Veronica's party," he rubs his neck awkwardly, averting eye contact.

"You promised," she's pouting again, like a scolded child.

"I-I know," he gives her a frustrated look. "But I just couldn't face going and spending a night with all those losers from the football team."

Betty looks at him sadly, she knows Reggie and his friends haven't been the nicest to Jughead in the past. And can she really judge him? She didn't want to spend time with them either.

"I get it."

Although she does get it, a part of her still feels sad that he didn't even come just for her. Just because he knew she wanted him there.


	3. Chapter 3

Rain pounds against the window of the Blue and Gold. It hasn't stopped raining since the disastrous football game. Betty is still sporting the wrist splint to remind her of this fact.

She sighs, pausing in her frantic note taking to gaze out the window. She's lucky it's not her writing hand she injured.

"This rain is really starting to piss people off."

She starts at the sound of his voice, so deep in thought that she didn't hear him come in.

"I don't know," she mumbles, sounding dreamy and far away, her chin resting on the palm of her good hand. "I like the rain."

"Even after your accident?" Jughead jokes.

She turns to look at him, smiling half-heartedly in response.

He sits down and begins typing away at something. Probably his newest article about saving the drive in theatre. Betty finds it sweet that he's so passionate about saving it from demolition.

She hasn't seen much of him lately. After her mom found out about her wrist, she went a little overprotective from the guilt of not being there and started making Betty come home straight after school for "quality time" together.

Thankfully, there's a new story that requires Alice Cooper's journalistic skill, leaving Betty free once more to her after school activities.

Of course, Jughead doesn't say anything about her lack of presence lately. He probably hasn't even noticed. Or if he has, he's probably enjoyed not having a crazy girl that cries at the drop of a hat working alongside him.

She can't help the sigh that escapes her, sounding particularly loud in the mostly silent room.

"Something troubling you?"

She snaps her head round. He's looking at her over the top of his laptop. The light from the screen reflects onto his face, highlighting the bags under his eyes. He looks exhausted.

"Nothing too taxing. You look worn out, though. Rough day?"

He shrugs in response, going back to his typing.

She rolls her eyes, looking back out the window. Silly of her to think he'd ever confide in her. Although Jughead is a great friend to her, Betty sometimes wonders if he even considers her his friend.

"My dad. He's kind of… fell off the wagon."

Betty once again whips round to glance at the dark haired boy. Her big blue eyes are widened even further in surprise. Was he… opening up to her?

"That's why my mom left. She took Jellybean."

Betty nods, a sad expression on her face. "I heard. I'm so sorry, Jug."

"I miss her. I talk to her on the phone, but… It's not the same, you know?"

She did know. She hadn't seen her older sister, Polly, in months. Her parents had sent her away because she was "troubled." But Jughead probably didn't even realise how similar their situations were.

"She's growing up so fast and I'm not even there for it."

Betty aches to hold him and tell him that everything will work out fine. But obviously she can't do that. Instead, she pulls her sleeves over her hands, balling them into fists and willing herself to stay seated.

"You're her big brother, Jug, she knows you love her and that you'll always be there for her."

Betty speaks from the heart. She knows that, even if Polly can't be there with her, she'll always love her and be her big sister.

"You don't know that."

His voice is flat, the mask of indifference has slipped back on.

"You're right. I was just speaking from experience."

Her voice is barely louder than a whisper. But she knows he heard.

She looks back down at her notes, hoping this tense moment will pass. She doesn't know why she's suddenly fighting back tears.

"Betty, I'm so sorry. I forgot about Polly."

She looks up, her eyes shining with tears that haven't fallen. His face is a mixture of frustration and sadness.

"That's okay."

"I feel like I'm always apologising to you for something. I'm sorry I've been so unbearable lately, there's just a lot going on."

It's not much. But coming from Jughead, this is a big deal.

Betty chokes back the words forming on her tongue. About how much she likes him, even when he's at his worst. She loves every shade of him.

Instead, she blurts out the first normal thing that comes to mind.

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to it."

Her eyes widen a fraction at what she's said. She doesn't mean to sound like such a martyr! All she meant was that, after years of pining over Archie, she's used to having her feelings stepped on.

"I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that Archie… Not that you're like Archie. God, no, Jug. You're like the opposite…"

She trails off, closing her eyes and silently cringing at her nonsensical ramblings.

She opens her eyes and forces herself to look at him. She's surprised to see Jughead smirking at her.

"It's ok, Betty. I have been a bit of an Archie lately."

She smiles faintly at his use of their friend's name.

"How about I make it up to you? I'll buy you dinner at Pop's tonight."

Betty blinks at him, unsure if she's heard right or not.

"Unless you're busy?"

Jughead looks embarrassed and maybe even a little nervous. Betty can't help the small smile that creeps onto her face.

"I suppose I'll have to take you up on that, seeing as you've been such an Archie."

He looks a little overwhelmed at her teasing tone. Betty suddenly wonders if any girl has ever tried to flirt with Jughead Jones before. Judging from his reaction, probably not.

"So, um, I'll meet you there about seven?"

Jug is looking anywhere but her, clearly nervous about the whole situation. This gives her a strange surge of power and confidence, spurring on her next few words.

"It's a date."

Betty rushes home straight after school, praying that her mom isn't home to distract her and ask questions. She needs to get her homework out the way and then pick out the perfect outfit for her dinner with Jughead.

Thankfully, the house is empty.

After battling through her chemistry and trig homework, she allows herself to pause for a few minutes.

Was tonight a date?

She didn't think so. Jug still hadn't expressed any romantic affection for her. She figured he felt sorry for her and was being a good friend, trying to cheer her up.

Still, it didn't hurt to put a tiny bit of effort in.

With that thought, she stood up and opened her closet.

What to wear?

She didn't want to make it too obvious that she'd put effort into her appearance, so she pulled out her favourite blue denim jeans and a casual, but cheerful, yellow coloured top.

It was a nice night, the sun was still shining and it brightened Betty's already good mood.

She showered and dressed before heading to Pop's.

It was only a short five minute walk from the Cooper residence, meaning Betty got there a few minutes early. She didn't see Jug, so picked a booth at the window where she'd be able to see him coming. She'd brought her notebook with her so she could finish editing her teen bullying piece and was quickly engrossed in it.

"Do you ever stop working?"

That was how Jughead greeted her, sliding into the seat across from her. He was ten minutes late, but Betty didn't mind. At least he'd actually shown up this time.

Betty smiles and rolls her eyes at him. "It was just to pass the time."

Then she notices what Jughead is clutching to him, probably hoping she won't see.

"Hey, you brought your laptop. I'm not that bad!"

He smiles sheepishly. "I wanted you to look over my article about the drive-in."

"Only if you buy me a milkshake."

He grins triumphantly. "Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

Without even realising, Betty finds her and Jughead in somewhat of a routine.

They still work in the Blue and Gold first thing in the morning and after school. On top of that, more often than not, they meet in Pop's for dinner to continue working. After that first night, they just kept coming back. Betty never tires of seeing him, even if it is just to discuss work.

But a part of her is still restless.

Although she loves how much time they spend together – almost every waking minute, according to Veronica – she still feels like Jughead barely even sees her as a friend, never mind a _girl_ friend. Although he's incredibly sweet, and already way more thoughtful than Archie has ever been, she's still left feeling frustrated and a little disappointed. She wants to go on real dates with Jug where they share milkshakes at Pop's and make out in the back row of the tiny cinema they have in Riverdale. She'd wear a pretty dress and he'd walk her home afterwards.

But, instead, she was resigned to friendly, sometimes professional, dinners at Pop's

It's this thought that leads her to say yes when Trev, a shy, but cute, boy from the football team asks her out. He smiles so wide when she agrees, looking relieved, like it's taken him all of his nerve to even ask her. She feels momentarily guilty; she _knows_ she's just using him to distract her from her feelings for Jughead. She justifies it by telling herself that maybe she'll have a good time, maybe she'll like Trev back.

It's a lie. But Betty's gotten good at lying to herself.

Throughout the day, she swithers on whether to tell Jughead about her upcoming date or not. And if she does, how will she do it casually? She doesn't want to come off as bragging, or trying to making him jealous. (An impossible feat, considering that would require _actual_ feelings on his part).

But then another part of her, the rational part, calls her an idiot for even thinking about telling him. Is she a masochist? All she's going to gain from telling him is hurt feelings when he reacts with complete indifference. Their relationship is strictly platonic. Betty doubts he'd care if, or who, she was dating.

Then again, it occurs to her that he might even be a _ngry._ Trev is on the football team, after all, and Jug loathes them all. Even though Trev technically hasn't ever bullied Jughead, he's definitely been a bystander during many… interactions, between Reggie and Jug, neither joining in nor doing anything to stop it. In Jughead's eyes, he's just as bad.

And Betty can't risk losing their friendship. Although she may want more from him, she knows she has to settle for what Jughead is prepared to give her. And his friendship means a lot to her. She can't risk losing it, losing _him._ Lately, their daily lives and routines are so closely intertwined, it would surely feel like losing a part of herself.

No, she won't tell him. What he doesn't know can't hurt him.

Of course, this plan royally backfires when Trev appears in the Blue and Gold the next morning.

Betty and Jughead are both perched on a desk, going through the comment box that the principle insists they leave lying out. As usual, very little of them are serious feedback. Mostly lewd comments written by the football team for a laugh.

Jughead sighs, unfolding yet another fake comment and muttering something about "dumb football players" and illiteracy.

The sound of Trev entering makes them both snap their heads up. Betty realises how close they are, and wonders if Trev thinks there's something going on. If he does, he doesn't show it. Then again, it's not exactly a secret that Jughead shows no interest in any female in school whatsoever.

"Hey, Betty."

He looks shy and nervous, and she wishes he were Jughead. And then she thinks what a horrible person she is. Trev is, for all intents and purposes, a nice guy. She shouldn't be leading him on like this.

"Hey, Trev," she smiles back nervously.

 _Please, please, don't bring up the date._

"I was just checking we're still on for our date tonight?"

Part of her wants to say no and end things right here. She knows she's not interested in him, never will be. She's so wrapped up in the total enigma that is Jughead Jones. Betty can't help but wonder, for the millionth time, why she always likes guys she'll never have a chance with.

One look at Trev's hopeful face, and she knows she can't do it. She can't reject him.

"Sure," she smiles, trying to hide the fact she's cringing the whole time.

She can feel Jughead staring at her, but refuses to look at him until Trev has left the office, waving over his shoulder one final time before closing the door behind him.

"You're going on a date with _Trevor_?"

Although she's expecting it, she winces a little at the hiss to his voice.

"It's not really a date… More like a casual get together."

"He called it a date."

"Well…"

Betty trails off, not really sure how to defend herself. But he's looking at her, a hard glint to his eye, and she knows he's angry. She's panicking, unsure how she'll be able to fix this. She can't lose her best friend over a _guy._

"It's not a date when we go for dinner, is it?" She blinks up at him innocently. "So I guess it's like that. Just dinner."

"That's different. We're friends. We work together."

Betty feels herself deflate. This is what she knew would happen. He'd somehow say or do something to show her how little he felt about her. To him, they were colleagues. Nothing more.

"Right. Strictly professional."

It's supposed to sound cheerful, but it comes out sounding sad.

"Betty, that's not what I meant…" He sighs, trailing off.

Betty turns to look at him, feeling hopeful. What did he mean? Was this it? Was he finally going to announce he secretly lusted after her?

"We're friends, too, obviously."

Right.

 _Just_ friends _._

"Look, Jug, it's nothing."

She's annoyed now. If he doesn't like her then why the hell does he care who she dates? She shouldn't have to explain herself to him.

"I don't even like him. I like someone else… He just- He asked and he looked so nervous… I couldn't say no."

Jughead doesn't say anything for a while. His face is once again blank, impossible to tell what he's thinking. She holds her breath, anxious to know if he's angry or not.

"You're too kind for your own good, Betty Cooper," he says finally, neither smiling nor frowning.

"I know, I know. I feel terrible leading him on like this."

"Who is this other gentleman that you like?"

Betty feels her cheeks redden at his question, knowing this would be a perfect time to tell him how she feels.

But she can't tell him… Not yet. Maybe one day.

"None of your business."

It's supposed to sound sassy and cool, instead she sounds squeaky and nervous.

Jughead smirks deviously. "I'll find out one way or another."

Betty gulps, praying he doesn't make good on his promise.

She arrives at Pop's at seven o'clock sharp. Trev had offered to pick her up, but she'd insisted on walking. If she was being honest, she was just trying to avoid spending unnecessary amounts of time with him.

She had, however, still made an effort to look pretty. She'd worn her hair down, with some light make up and a pretty floral skirt. It was a nice night, only a slight breeze ruffled her hair as she strolled along to the local diner. Her cardigan was more than enough to keep her warm.

Trev isn't there when she arrives, but she's used to being the first to arrive. Betty Cooper is anal about timekeeping and always arrives either early or exactly on time. She's noticed, through years of strict timekeeping, that most people are late to everything.

Her heart stops as she notices a familiar grey beanie and braces.

Trev wasn't here, but Jughead was.

She groans internally as he looks up and catches her eye, sending her a mischievous smirk. He's done this on purpose, probably to spy on their date. How is she supposed to pay Trev any attention when the subject of all her dreaming and fantasising is sitting two booths down?

A few minutes later, Trevor slides into the seat across from her. Betty's been so caught up in agonising over Jughead's presence that it takes her a moment to notice him.

"Hey, Betty."

She smiles nervously. "Hi, Trevor."

He quickly catches the waitress's eye and orders them both milkshakes.

"You want anything else?"

Betty's stomach twists nervously. The thought of eating anything makes her feel physically sick.

"Nothing for me, thanks."

Trev nods and orders himself a plate of fries.

"I'll share them with you, if you get hungry."

Betty smiles politely but inside she's dying. This is exactly the kind of date she's dreamed about… Just with the wrong guy.

She can see Jug if she cranes her neck a little. He's typing away furiously on his laptop, clearly engrossed in his work. Betty wonders if it's an article for the Blue and Gold or something else.

Almost as if he senses her stare, Jughead looks up and directly at her.

The two are both surprised to see the other looking, but make no move to tear their eyes away. Jughead smirks, and if Betty didn't know any better, she'd think Jug knew exactly what she was thinking. His cheeky smirk seemed to say, 'I know you wish it was me with you.' It's unnerving, and it causes her to look away.

Trevor is oblivious to Betty's distraction, chatting away happily about football. He obviously doesn't realise that Betty couldn't care less. She forces herself to respond, but it's wooden and awkward and she thinks about how Jughead never runs out of things to talk about with her. Then she mentally kicks herself because Trevor looks nervous, and he's clearly dressed up for this date, and here she is thinking about her co-worker.

Her saving grace comes in the form of Veronica and Archie. They stroll into the diner, both doing a double take when they spot Betty and Trevor together, then looking slightly guilty.

But Betty is already waving them over.

"Vee! Come sit with us!"

Veronica lights up at Betty's eagerness, tugging Archie over to their table and sliding in next to her. Archie does the same on the opposite side of the table, but not before calling Jughead over.

Her stomach flutters as she sees him approaching, and she can't help but smile at him.

He grins back before jumping over the seat, landing next to Betty.

"How's the date?" He whispers into her ear, not paying attention to Trevor and Archie's discussion about football.

She tries not to shiver at his breath on her neck, and fails miserably.

"Boring," she sighs, stirring her half-finished milkshake.

Jug's hand appears infront of her, and for one beautiful moment she thinks he's going to take her hand.

He steals her milkshake and gulps it down greedily. She sighs and rolls her eyes in amusement.

"So, Jughead, how is your newfound journalism career going?" Veronica questions him.

He pauses to order a plate of fries before answering.

"It's not exactly hard-hitting news, but it passes the time."

"I'll say. I never see Betty, she's always with you."

"You see me at cheerleading practice," Betty protests lightly.

"That's hardly an opportunity to catch up with Cheryl the dictator around. Besides, you don't even go to that anymore," she whines, gesturing to Betty's injured wrist.

Betty frowns, glancing at her sore wrist. It hardly bothers her, as long as she remembers to take the painkillers the doctor gave her, and she sometimes forgets all about it.

"What can I say, Veronica? We're just so committed to the Blue and Gold."

Jug's tone is mocking, but Betty knows that he takes his job seriously. It's one of the many reasons she's so attracted to him.

She steals a few fries from Jug's plate, popping them in her mouth as she continues to listen to the conversation. Jughead pretends to look annoyed, but she often steals his food, and she knows he never minds.

"Yeah, right." Veronica snorts, taking a sip of her coffee. "More like you two can't bear spending time away from each other. Sexual tension, much?"

Betty's eyes double in size at Veronica's insinuation. She dreads to think how Jug will react, and risks a glance in his direction.

He's laughing and shaking his head, as if that's the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever said. As if it couldn't possibly be true. Betty feels her stomach sink once more.

"I should get home," she announces suddenly.

It's unfair to Trevor, he barely even got to spend any time with her and now she's leaving, but she can't bear to be here any longer. She can't be nice, selfless Betty Cooper and make herself stay for Trevor's sake. Tonight, she's just a heartbroken teenage girl.

She slides past Veronica, saying her goodbyes, then speed walks out of Pop's and heads for home.

She'd normally tell herself that it's time to get over Jughead; move on and accept he doesn't like her anymore. She'd tell herself that it's fine, she'll find somebody else, somebody who deserves her.

But she can't even be bothered to lie to herself tonight.

Tonight, she'll let herself hurt.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! I'm doing an author's note thing for the first time ever, wow. I just wanted to thank everyone for their very kind reviews. They never fail to make me smile! This chapter is v. v. short, and kinda just a filler. I'm not entirely happy with it, but it covered all the parts I wanted it to.**

 **P.S: if anyone has any good fic recs, from any ~fandom~ at all, please let me know. I'm always fascinated to hear if anyone has an all time favourite fanfiction, so let me know if you do. I love reading fanfiction when I feel sad. (Like today).**

 **Thanks***

She wakes to the sound of her mother's voice.

"Betty, get up. You're late!" Alice shouts up to her from the kitchen.

She bolts upright in bed, glancing at her alarm clock. To her horror, she's slept an extra half an hour, giving her only ten minutes to get ready for school.

Why does this keep happening?

Betty immediately begins to curse Jughead Jones. She was so upset about the disastrous date at Pop's the night before that she skipped her usual night-time routine to wallow in self-pity. After she got home, she ended up eating an entire carton of ice cream and falling asleep watching old Sex and the City reruns, forgetting to set her alarm.

And now, here she was.

Late.

Something Betty Cooper absolutely despised. Yet she felt like she was always late these days. And unorganised. Her head was so jumbled up with thoughts of Jughead, she barely had time to study and do her homework. It was getting out of hand. But she had no idea how to fix it.

 _Some things just can't be fixed_ , she thinks to herself bitterly.

She tugs on the first item of clothing she finds, which happens to be a cotton dress that – thankfully – isn't too creased. It's far too late for her to worry about anything else, so last night's hair and make-up will have to do. She wipes her under eyes to remove any trace of smudged mascara, grabs her backpack and her shoes, and sprints downstairs.

"What's gotten into you, Elizabeth? You're never late," her mother clucks at her, handing her a glass of orange juice.

Betty takes it, grateful for something to sate her parched mouth, and gulps it down along with her daily vitamin. She can't bring herself to tell her mother that the cause of her daughter's ditziness as of late is a boy.

"I forgot to set my alarm," is all she says.

Alice sighs but nods, accepting this excuse. "Sit down and eat breakfast. I'll drive you to school."

Betty smiles at this, knowing it means she'll have time to stop by the Blue and Gold.

And then she frowns, because this is not healthy.

However, when she eventually pulls up in front of school, she's prevented from going straight to the Blue and Gold office by Veronica. She appears beside her almost as soon as she steps out of her mom's car, and Betty wonders briefly if she was waiting for her.

"B! There you are! Late again, I see."

She turns to look at Veronica, smiling tiredly. Despite the solid nine hours she got last night, Betty feels exhausted.

This feeling only increases when she takes in her best friend's appearance. Veronica is glowing, as usual, exuding positivity and confidence. She's head to toe in a chic, no doubt designer, outfit, topped off with her trademark white pearl necklace. Betty feels dull and lifeless in comparison.

"I wanted to talk about last night, you ran off so fast!" Veronica continues, sipping from a to-go coffee cup.

"Sure, what's up?" Betty blinks innocently, hoping Veronica doesn't mention Trevor.

Nothing could prepare her for what Veronica said next.

"What are you doing going out with Trevor when you love Jughead?" Veronica says without missing a beat.

She says it so casually, as if discussing the weather or last night's chemistry homework. Betty feels her knees wobble, and has to concentrate on not collapsing. Panic seeps into the pit of her stomach. Veronica knows. Who else knows? What if everyone knows? What if Jughead knows, what if he noticed her odd behaviour last night and put it together like Ronnie did? She starts hyperventilating at the thought.

"Breathe, Betty, I haven't said anything to anyone."

She calms down marginally, but still feels like she may faint at any given moment.

"Is it obvious? Do you think he knows?" She breathes out after a moment.

"Only to me. I know you, Betty Cooper."

"He doesn't even notice me."

Veronica's dark eyes narrow significantly at this.

"Are you crazy? Of course he does. He cares about you, Betty."

Betty laughs, and it sounds very bitter indeed. "As a friend."

Veronica pauses to think for a moment, taking a sip of coffee before replying.

"I think it may be more. It certainly looks like more to me. But I can't tell for sure, Jughead is hard to read."

"You have no idea," Betty snorts.

She's almost feeling relieved that she can finally confide in someone. Finally all these mixed up feelings can be verbalised to someone other than herself. Maye Veronica can make more sense of it all than her. She's more experienced, after all.

"Everytime I think we're getting close, he shuts me out again."

"Give it time, Betty. By the sounds of things, I don't think Jughead is used to have a friend, nevermind anything else."

Betty processes these words, feeling her heart begin to ache for Jughead. It had never occurred to her that she might be the first person to take an actual interest in Jughead. Sure, he had Betty now, but before they'd started working together on the Blue and Gold, Betty rarely ever spoke to Jughead. It stood to reason that he wouldn't have many other friends. Aside from Archie, she'd never seen Jughead talking to anyone else, and Betty knew from personal experience how careless Archie could be with his friendships. She felt utter despair, imagining how lonely Jughead must've been. He's probably just starting to adjust to have a real friend, nevermind anything else.

"God, you're right!" Betty blushes, truly embarrassed at her behaviour. "I need to get over this… crush, and focus on being a good friend to him. He needs that more right now."

"That's not what I meant, B," Veronica's smirking now, leaving Betty very confused.

She sighs at Betty's clueless look.

"He's never had a female interested in him, so he probably doesn't even realise you like him. If you want Jughead Jones, you'll have to take control. Show him that you want him."

Betty is mortified at Veronica's words. Her? Take control? She's never been very confident with boys, and she doubts that will change overnight. She's just beginning to feel comfortable with herself and her body, and she still feels a little awkward with the opposite sex.

"I don't think so," Betty sighs, finally admitting defeat. "We're probably better off as friends, anyway."

Veronica rolls her eyes but chooses to drop the subject.

For now, anyway.

Jughead corners her as the final bell rings to signal the end of school. She's just getting the books she'll need for tonight's homework from her locker when he appears next to her, looking even more moody than usual.

"Are you avoiding me?"

Betty's eyes widen from behind her locker door, before she slams it shut in shock. Why would he think that? Does he know she likes him? If Veronica worked it out, maybe he did, too?

She turns to face him, and he's staring her dead in the eye. She's never seen him be so direct with anyone, and she's momentarily taken aback.

"No, Jug. Of course not."

And it's not all a lie. She is avoiding him, but only because she's trying to work out her feelings towards him, and how to get over them. She can't do that if he's sitting there talking about books they both like and making sarcastic remarks about Archie's idiot teammates, and just generally being her dream guy.

So she hides. She avoids. It's the only way to get her head around this situation.

"I haven't seen you all day."

His face changes from being sullen to resembling something a lot like hurt, and Betty's heart sinks with the guilt. What if he's spent all day worrying if he's lost one of the few friends he has? She feels absolutely terrible, she'd be hurt if he just disappeared on her.

"I was late to school and then I had to help Veronica at lunch. I'm sorry, it was just one of those days."

He stares at her for a moment before he nods, seeming to believe her feeble excuses. She internally sighs in relief, but wracks her brain for a way to make it up to him.

"Do you want to go to Pop's? Dinner's on me. I missed lunch."

She blinks up at him, surprised by her own words. Is this a date? She's not even sure herself.

"Sure," Jughead looks perfectly at ease, not finding her suggestion weird in the slightest.

They walk out of school and set off towards the diner, talking and laughing as they go. Betty, for once, is content. Her earlier conversation with Veronica has brought some new insight into the whole situation. Now, she's happy just spending time with him, hearing him laugh and joke with her. She's pleased that he's so comfortable in her company.

She wants him to feel like she's here to stay, unlike so many of the people in his life.


	6. Chapter 6

The weekend rolls around after what feels like forever. Betty vows to use her time away from Jughead to really focus on her schoolwork and finally catch up. This plan is ruined slightly when she ends up shopping with Veronica on Saturday.

Riverdale has one poor excuse for a shopping mall, so Betty tends to do most of her shopping online. Veronica insists that she has to go shopping, however, because she needs a new dress urgently for a family dinner her mom is planning. And she needs Betty there to get her opinion.

"I'll pick you up in twenty minutes," Veronica demands before hanging up before Betty can say no again.

She sighs and heads for a shower.

She can't help but notice that Veronica is acting weird. Well… weirder than usual.

First of all, she appeared with a coffee and a scone. Betty was grateful, as she hadn't had a chance to eat breakfast.

Then when they got to the mall, Veronica had insisted on buying Betty the lipstick she kept eyeing up. It was a bright red colour, very unlike the usual nudes and pinks she applied. But she couldn't help admire it… It was bold and vibrant. Maybe if she wore it… she'd be a little bolder, too?

Veronica had watched Betty debate with herself before sighing and buying it for her, instead. She was relieved; the decision was now out of her hands. And, hey, if she never wore it, at least she didn't pay for it.

So, Betty was grateful but also a little suspicious. Why was Veronica suddenly being so thoughtful? Not that that was a bad thing. Just… A new thing. And Betty had enough cynicism in her to wonder if perhaps Veronica was overcompensating for something.

She decides to stop internalising and actually ask.

"Hey, V, is something wrong?"

Veronica glances up from the pair of black stiletto shoes she's fussing over.

"No, Betts. Why would something be wrong?"

Betty merely shrugs, not ready to admit that she's suspicious of Veronica's behaviour. She doesn't want to throw her generosity back in her face. And, if there really is nothing wrong, she doesn't want Veronica to be angry with her. Sometimes she forgets what a good friend Veronica is. Although they're not always as close as Betty is with Jughead, their friendship remains strong. And it's _easy_. There's no drama with them. (Something that is so often seen amongst teenage girls.) They slip easily into each other's company, and very seldom have disagreements.

This is threatened, however, when Veronica sighs suddenly. "Fine, you caught me. Something is wrong, Betty."

She turns to look at her friend, worry clouding her features.

"What's wrong, Veronica? Is it something with your dad?"

Betty knows that her dad is awaiting trial for embezzlement. It's common knowledge amongst the people of Riverdale, but few people see up close the damage that has been caused. Veronica's idea of her perfect father has been shattered, forcing her to grow up faster than she should have.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. It's just…" She trails off, looking towards the entrance of a cafe. "Can we go for a coffee? I don't want to do this here."

Betty is now incredibly alarmed, but nods politely all the same.

Veronica is known for being overly dramatic but something about her face tells Betty that this isn't nothing.

She allows Veronica to buy her yet another latte before settling down at a table.

"Ok," Betty gestures to Veronica, who is sitting across from her looking increasingly nervous. "Talk."

The café is pretty quiet, meaning Veronica's next few words are heard clearly.

"Archie and I are dating," she blurts out.

Betty pauses for a moment to consider this.

Veronica… and Archie?

Since when?

She knew that Veronica had kissed him during one of Cheryl's vindictive games of Spin the Bottle. She also knew that Cheryl had set this up on purpose just to hurt Betty.

But Cheryl definitely wasn't setting this up.

"Betty? Please say something. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. I just… I really like him."

She snaps her eyes up to Veronica's worried expression, suddenly feeling sorry for her. How long has she been agonising over telling her this?

"It's ok, Veronica. I'm not mad."

And she means it. Her feelings for Archie are long gone. Instead, she feels happy that two of her closest friends are now together. And Veronica is much more equally suited to Archie, anyway. She breaks through his walls and encourages him to come out his bubble from time to time, which is something Betty could never do.

It's just…

If Betty lets the selfish part of her out, then she feels a little jealous. She studies Veronica, who, now that she knows Betty is fine with her and Archie, looks radiant and excited about her new relationship. Suddenly, Betty longs for a relationship of her own. This makes her cringe; she feels like those stereotypical teen girls who need a boyfriend to be happy. But she can't help how she feels.

Loneliness, at the pit of her stomach, causes her to push her cup of coffee away.

She realises Veronica has been talking, and she hasn't listened to a word she's said.

"… just feels so right, you know? Like it's no bi- Are you ok, B?"

She blinks up, feeling guilty that she's about to ruin Veronica's happy moment.

"Just… thinking about Jughead."

Veronica's face changes to one of sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Betty. I didn't think."

"Oh, no! Veronica, you don't have to be sorry. You have every right to be happy about your new relationship. I guess… I just wish I had one of my own."

"I know, Betty. Maybe one day."

"Yeah… One day."

But even as she says it, she doesn't believe it.

"I have to run, Betty. I'm meeting Archie," Veronica smiles shyly, while also managing to look sheepish. "Do you need a lift home?"

Betty can't help but smile herself at Veronica's happiness.

"No, I think I'll head to the book store now that I'm here."

"You sure?" Veronica still looks worried about her friend.

"Yes! Now go have fun! Tell me all about it later."

Veronica kisses her on the cheek then floats away, leaving Betty alone with her cold cup of coffee and her thoughts.

It's barely afternoon and Betty is faced with a long day and zero plans. She's too restless now to do something as mind-numbing as returning home and watching TV or studying.

Veronica and Archie are both busy.

She grimaces. Is this how it will be from now on? Will her two friends be too busy with each other to spend time with her? And then she feels guilty. Because it's not their fault that Betty has no other friends. Maybe she should try harder to talk to new people… She's just been so busy this year with school and the newspaper and… Jughead.

Jughead.

He was her friend, of course. But in a different way. She couldn't just call him up on a Saturday afternoon and ask him to do something with her. That's not how they worked.

She can't help but wonder what he's doing at this exact moment.

Is he reading the new novel he mentioned that he bought the other day? Maybe working on an article for the Blue and Gold? Or something entirely different?

She gets up and leaves the café, wandering through the mall aimlessly. She's not in the mood to browse for a new book, despite what she told Veronica. Maybe she could buy some new clothes? Her bank account is looking quite full at the moment. Between her allowance and the occasional babysitting she does for her neighbours, she's built up quite a little nest egg.

Without ever really making the decision to, she finds herself in one of the few boutiques Riverdale mall has. She sifts through rack after rack of the same styles of clothing, knowing that none of them would suit her. They belong on people like Veronica or Cheryl Blossom. She's more of a Gap girl. Plain and simple. Maybe that's why Jughead barely looks at her.

She leaves the shop with a melancholy sigh, feeling very down on herself all of a sudden. She's never been the most secure girl in the world, but she's also never been this insecure in her life. Shame washes over her as she realises it's a boy that has lowered her self-esteem. But not just _any_ boy. Jughead Jones. That has to gain her some points, right? It's not some shallow minded football player that just wants to hook up in the back of his car. Jughead isn't like the other boys. He's… sensitive… and a little troubled, and just what she's been looking for. He's the only guy she knows that can keep up with her and give as good as he gets.

The bookshop looms closer as Betty strolls along, trying to drag out her trip. It's the last shop in the mall, and is also one of the smallest. Books, it would seem, are a dying art. She wanders inside purely for something to do, smiling at the elderly man who's been working here for as long as she can remember. He nods back politely, recognising her as one of his more frequent customers.

She scans the bestsellers shelves, not really seeing, but trying to look interested. There's a new Judy Blume novel and Betty glances around stealthily before grabbing it to read the back. She'd die if anyone knew she was a closet fan.

"Whatcha looking at, Betts?"

Betty freezes and turns slowly, knowing from his tone of voice that she's been caught red handed.

"Um, it's a present for someone?"

Jughead raises an eyebrow, clearly not believing her. He's wearing his usual grey beanie hat and denim jacket, his trusty satchel slung over his shoulder. Betty notices he's clutching a new copy of _The Catcher in the Rye_ and raises an eyebrow back.

"I'm shocked you don't already have a copy," she gestures towards the book.

"I do… Or did." He grimaces slightly. "My dad came home drunk and spilled whisky all over it. It was too far gone by the time I found it."

Betty doesn't know whether to laugh or apologise. She knows FP struggles with addiction, but she isn't sure if this was a one off or if he's fell off the wagon. And she doesn't know how to ask without coming off as nosey or judgey. She wishes, for the millionth time, that Jughead was more open with her.

She opens her mouth to ask about FP, then closes it, debating if she should or not. Before she has a chance to decide, Jug speaks up, completely oblivious to Betty's inner turmoil.

"I'm heading to the cinema after this to see that new horror, do you want to come with me?"

She blinks, processing his words.

"You want to go to the cinema with me?"

He nods slowly, mocking her for being slow.

"Beats going alone," he grins. "I'll even buy you popcorn. But then I'll probably end up eating most of it."

Betty rolls her eyes, a smile appearing on her face. "Sure, I'll go. But if you so much as touch my popcorn."

"Oh, I'm so scared. What's big bad Betty Cooper going to do?"

"Just you wait and find out, Jughead Jones!"

The two walk out the store, Betty's precious Judy Blume book long forgotten, and head towards the cinema. Their laughter can be heard even from a distance, and anyone watching the two would see how both light up in each other's presence. Betty, who is usually quiet and subdued, comes out her shell around him. Jughead is always laughing or smiling when he's with her, a far cry from his usual sullen demeanour.

It's not until they reach the ticket stand and Jughead insists on buying two tickets for some Stephen King adaption that Betty realises she hates horror films. But she knows that Stephen King is Jug's literary hero, so she wills herself to grow up and face her fears. How bad can it be?

Bad. Very bad.

Betty has spent 80% of the film with her hands over her eyes, refusing to watch, and the remaining 20% tensed up waiting for a jump scare. Jughead is shaking with laughter beside her, getting more entertainment out of her reaction to the film than the film itself.

"Stop laughing at me, you sadist," she hisses at him as he steals another handful of her popcorn.

"I can't help it, you flinch every time the scene changes."

He's leaning in close, whispering in her ear to avoid disturbing the rest of the audience. Her cheeks automatically flush a red colour, and she's thankful for the darkness of the cinema.

She doesn't have a witty response for him, so she settles for feebly punching his arm then focusing back on the god awful film just in time for an intense chase scene. The murderer is stalking a girl through a dark forest, the ultimate cliché. Betty tenses up, watching as the girl trips over and the bad guy nearly catches her. Instinctively, she grabs Jughead's hand, squeezing it for dear life. It doesn't occur to her to feel weird about it, she's too engrossed in the film.

He glances at their clasped hands, then up at Betty's face. She's glued to the film, paying him no mind. A small smile graces Jughead's face, as he allows himself a small moment of satisfaction at her holding his hand. He knows it's silly, but he can't help the butterflies in his stomach that he feels being near her.

She bites her lip, flinching as the girl is inevitably caught and beheaded. Jughead laughs as she uses his shoulder to shield her eyes from the onscreen gore. He thought that her being scared of horror films would be annoying for him, but instead he finds it strangely endearing.

Then again, he finds most things about Betty Cooper endearing.


	7. Chapter 7

Today was the day Betty Cooper had been counting down to for the past six weeks. It was the day she got her arm brace off, and she couldn't be more excited. Only being able to use one hand got really annoying after a while. Although Jughead would carry her books to class for her everyday, which she thought was sweet and made her smile.

She'd been planning to go alone to get it off. Her parents were apparently too busy with work to take an hour out of their morning to go with her. Veronica had a history test and couldn't go with her, either.

It was times like these that she missed Polly the most. She knew if her sister were here she'd go with her in a heartbeat. That was just the way Polly was, protective and more motherly towards Betty than Alice had ever been.

It had been a year since she last saw her older sister and, although she tried to tell herself she wasn't angry, it got harder and harder to look at her parents the longer Polly was away. She missed her sister so much it hurt; a constant ache buried deep inside her. Her parents were oblivious to how much Polly's absence was affecting their younger daughter, too busy with their work to notice.

So there Betty was, feeling sorry for herself and preparing to head to hospital alone, when he appeared at her bedroom window.

"Hey, Juliet," he smirked.

Betty thought she'd died and gone to heaven.

"What are you doing here?" She giggled, immediately cheering up.

"Oh you know, just hanging," he gestures towards the ladder which he is literally hanging from.

Betty rolls her eyes playfully, smiling at him excitedly. She can't believe he's here, in her room.

"Come in, silly!" She tugs his arm, suddenly aware of how easily he could fall.

He hesitates for a moment before shrugging and climbing in. He lands on a heap on the floor, a mess of arms and legs that makes Betty snort with laughter.

She turns briefly to her dressing table, arranging her hair in its usual tight ponytail. (No small feat with her arm brace).

By the time she turns back to Jughead, he's collected himself and is watching her intensely.

"So, what's up?"

Betty glances at her watch, noticing it's past 8.30. She isn't due at the hospital till 10, but school has started for Jughead.

"Why aren't you in school?"

Jughead shrugs casually, but something is off about it. "Heard you had a hospital appointment and needed a date."

"Jug! You didn't have to do that!" Betty's eyes are wide, gazing up at Jughead in awe.

How can someone be so thoughtful but also so clueless? He's a total enigma.

"Relax, Betts. I have Friday morning's off."

"Yeah, but I know you like to work in the Blue & Gold."

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" His smile was teasing.

Betty felt her cheeks heat up. She didn't intend to come off as stalkerish as she probably seems now. She sighs quietly, berating herself for having no tact whatsoever.

"How'd you even hear about this?" Betty gestures to her injured arm, hoping to change the subject off her obsessive tendencies.

"Veronica."

Betty rolls her eyes, needing no more explanation. Her beautiful best friend had been meddling; something she loved to do but was perhaps not very good at.

"Of course."

"Hey, if you'd rather go alone, just say the word and I can be on my way. Veronica said you were a little nervous about going alone, but I take most thing she says with a pinch of salt."

Betty chews her lip, gazing at him with her huge green eyes as he talks. She's not even listening, not really. He looks beautiful bathed in the light coming in from the window he entered through, even his ridiculous grey beanie that he insists on wearing can't hide how handsome he really is.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

She blinks as he waves one of his perfect hands in front of her face. She's noticed how perfect they are; long and strong looking with lots of visible tendons. She didn't realise she had a hand fetish until she saw his- and spent many afternoons sitting across from him and daydreaming about where those hands could go.

Then again, maybe she just has a Jughead Jones fetish.

"No, I don't mind, Jug. I'd like the company."

He nods, grinning at her, and her heart sores a little.

They have to catch the bus to the hospital, since Jughead only has his dad's car sometimes. Mainly the days where his dad is too drunk to drive - which is more often than Betty would like. She hates to think about him alone, trying to look after his alcoholic father with no one to look after him.

It takes forty minutes on the bus, but neither of the two mind. It passes quickly and easily, with them conversing and joking throughout.

As Betty is shown to an examination room and told to wait for the doctor, however, things get a little more serious.

"That place your sister's at..." Jughead trails off, trying to remember the name.

"Sisters of Quiet Mercy?" Betty shrugs, just saying the name of the creepy hospital place her sister has been put in makes her skin crawl.

"Isn't that near here?"

Betty frowns, the idea never occurring to her. "Yeah, I think so."

"Why don't we go visit?"

"Visit my sister?" Betty says slowly, trying to comprehend.

Jughead nods slowly, looking serious for once.

"I don't think they'd let me in. I'm pretty sure it's just my mom on the visitor list."

Betty doesn't know why she's trying to persuade Jughead they shouldn't go. Shouldn't she want to see her sister? If she's honest, she doesn't. Because if she does, then it'll all become real. She'll be forced to face the fact that Polly isn't at some fancy boarding school - the cover story Alice uses- she's imprisoned in some messed up home for troubled girls.

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Jughead's forehead is crinkled in confusion. He isn't expecting this reaction. Why isn't she reacting the way he expected?

"I don't know, Jughead."

"What don't you know?" He looks confused, genuinely. There's no anger, just confusion. He wants to know what's troubling her, why she's so hesitant to go.

"I just don't know, leave it at that."

She doesn't snap, per se. But her tone is definitely not leaving room for discussion. Jughead pauses and takes in her dark expression, notes her nails digging into her palms, before opening his mouth to speak.

A doctor walks in at that moment, interrupting anything he might or might not have said and leaving him silent.

He's silent even after the doctor leaves. And as they leave the hospital and board the bus back to Riverdale. The journey home is tense and uncomfortable, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

Betty is embarrassed by her outburst, and feels like she's disappointed him in some way. He's probably dying to see his sister, and here she is refusing to go to hers.

Jughead is also embarrassed. He's kicking himself for butting in where he doesn't belong, worrying that Betty is angry at him. He doesn't want to lose his only friend.

As the negative thoughts and feelings pile upon Betty, she feels tears start to well. She knows she should be brave enough to face Polly, but she isn't. Maybe one day, but not today.

Instinctively, she grabs Jughead's hand. The one she admired a few hours previously. He glances over at her, and she meets his gaze, wordlessly trying to express everything going on in her busy mind.

He pulls his hand away and she panics, thinking he's really angry at her this time. But then he slips it around her shoulders and pulls her closer, till her head rests on his shoulder.

She cuddles up to him gratefully, knowing affectionate gestures don't come easily or naturally to him. She doesn't know if he understands exactly what she's feeling, but he understands to some extent. And that's enough for her.

She nuzzles her face into his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of him, and smiles when he kisses the top of her head. She wonders if he knows that's he's the reason she gets out of bed in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

**So this is maybe slightly OOC Betty Cooper? I don't know, I always struggle sometimes with American teen TV shows. I guess I just don't buy that 15/16 yo kids aren't going to take alcohol if it's offered to them? Maybe it's because I'm British and we have a different culture, but it's kinda the norm over here.**

 **Anyway, just thought i'd prewarn!**

"This is a bad idea," Betty grimaced, glancing at the suspicious looking punch bowl filled with alcohol and fruit juice.

"Nonsense! You're overthinking it. Now come on upstairs and let me make you over," Veronica clapped her hands eagerly, excited at having her own personal doll.

Betty followed behind her obediently, but she looked significantly less cheerful. She was anxious that Veronica would make her look like... Veronica. There was no way she could pull that off.

Sighing and reminding herself to have faith in her uber fashionable female best friend, Betty entered Veronica's huge bedroom where she was immediately ushered over to her dressing table.

"Relax, Betty! I know what I'm doing."

Betty took a deep breath and attempted to relax her shoulders. Veronica started up a casual conversation to distract her tense friend.

"So... How did the hospital trip go?"

Betty shrugged, looking at her chipped nail polish before digging out the remover and beginning to take it off slowly. "Okay."

"Okay? That's it? That's all I get? After I set it up for you!"

Betty snapped her head up to make eye contact with Veronica. "I KNEW it! I knew you were meddling, Veronica Lodge."

She didn't even have the grace to look guilty, merely smirked mischievously and dropped her left eye into a flirtatious wink.

Betty smiled despite herself. "How does Archie keep up with you?"

"He doesn't. Every so often he looks a little dazed, but he makes a valiant effort."

Betty smiled again, continuing to remove the pale pink polish. As soon as she was finished, a bottle of matte black nail polish was thrust into her hand.

"Here. I know you're all things sweet and pastel, but maybe a little Veronica Lodge will give you courage."

Betty hesitated for a moment, but then reluctantly unscrewed the cap and began to carefully paint her nails. Before long, she had two neatly painted hands and Veronica was finished with her make up. She'd actually left everything fairly natural, but had insisted on a little black eyeliner and some red lipstick. Her blonde curls were deemed suitable enough.

Veronica hussled her over to her bed to sit with a magazine while she got ready. Betty ended up daydreaming instead of reading, however.

Veronica was having a party. This one was significantly less cutesie than her last, however, due to the fact that it wasn't parentally supervised.

In fact, her parents had no idea it was even happening. Something which made Betty very nervous.

Nonetheless, she allowed Veronica to force her into a skirt and crop top that was shorter and tighter than she'd like. She also allowed her to force a red solo cup filled with her alcohol laced fruit punch into her hand. She even hesitantly took a few sips. It didn't taste too awful.

So Betty kept drinking.

And soon, she lost track of how much she'd had or what time it was. She remembers sitting with Ethel in an attempt to avoid being drafted over to the "popular crowd" by Veronica, and thinking how nice this girl was. And how Jughead would probably approve of their friendship.

And then he's there, as if Betty wished him up just by thinking of him.

He's standing by the punch bowl with Archie, gesturing wildly and looking like he wants to punch someone. Archie is nodding slowly, trying to calm him down. Betty stumbles to her feet, telling Ethel she'll be back, and makes her way over.

"Jug?"

Her voice is smaller than she was anticipating. It barely carries over the loud music and chatter going on. But he hears her, and whips round to face her.

"Hey, Betts," he smiles awkwardly.

As soon as Archie realises he's suitably distracted, he's off like a bullet.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Arch about something," He looks over his shoulder and trails off.

"He's gone," Betty points out the obvious, gazing up at him with an almost childlike wonder.

He's here. At a party.

And then she wants to slap herself because she's probably way past tipsy, and she knows Jughead would disapprove. She would disapprove under any other circumstances, but she just wanted one night of fun and freedom. She's sick of being so in her head all the time. She's sick of thinking.

"I'm sorry, Jug, I had a lot to drink." She's biting her lip, staring at him guiltily as if he were her mother, not her friend.

Jughead surprises her by smirking and rolling his eyes. "I doubt a drunken Betty Cooper can get up to that much mischief."

She steps closer to him, admiring how attractive he looks when he's doing that sexy smirk thing. God, she's drunk. And it's all Veronica's fault.

"Do you want to go upstairs?"

She can't help but bat her eyelashes a little, pretending to look innocent. She's not intending to do anything too sexual with him, mainly because he probably wouldn't let her. But maybe he'll kiss her if they're alone. She looks pretty for a change, more like Veronica. Boys have been noticing her all night, but she paid them no mind. They weren't Jughead.

He looks hesitant for a moment, then seems to shake himself out of it. "Sure."

She grabs his hand and tugs him along behind her. They reach the guest room and Betty throws herself on the bed while Jughead awkwardly looks around.

"The Lodge's really are rich, huh?"

Betty sits up and leans on her elbows to look at him.

"Yeah, this place is insane. They have a maid that cooks meals," her eyes widen to show how crazy she finds it.

He smiles at her fondly, not responding. Instead, he looks at her with that same puzzled expression.

"You look different," he says eventually.

Betty glances down at her apparel. The short skirt and midriff baring top isn't her at all.

"I was Vee's doll for the day, I guess."

He laughs and walks over to her, sitting gently on the very edge of the bed. Almost immediately she's on her knees and crawling to sit beside him, probably closer than necessary. If he's uncomfortable with her proximity, he does a good job of hiding it.

"Jug, do you think I'm... attractive?" She looks at her painted nails while she talks, too embarrassed to see his reaction.

He clears his throat, and Betty can sense how uncomfortable he probably looks right now.

"You're very pretty, Betts," he chokes out, uncomfortable.

She blinks up at him, coming even closer. "But are you attracted to me?"

He swallows nervously, his adam's apple visibly bobbing up and down. She peers up at him, her green eyes slightly hazy but also still sparkling. She wasn't completely inebriated. She knew what she was doing to some extent, she just didn't care.

She doesn't let him answer, instead she leans forward and kisses him. It's gentle and coaxing, trying not to scare him off. He stills for a moment, and Betty thinks maybe she's gotten it all wrong and maybe he really isn't into her. But then he hesitantly responds; He kisses her back softly, almost hesitantly.

Her control is gone after that, she fiercely wraps her hands in his hair, pulling that ridiculous beanie hat off, and kisses him harder. She's almost desperate, trying to show him how much she wants him. How much she's wanted him for months now.

Then he's pulling away, looking shaky with his hair falling in his face. She can't read the expression on his face, so she stares up cautiously.

"What was that?" He gasps out eventually.

She doesn't have an answer. Instead she wraps her arms round his waist and cuddles up to him, just wanting him to realise what she's trying to tell him. His hand hesitantly makes it's way to her hair, running his fingers through it soothingly.

"Will you stay with me?" She blinks up sleepily at the boy she now knows that she loves.

"Sure, Betts."

She doesn't know if he will. But she figures he'll at least stay till she's asleep or the party ends. They both shuffle up the bed, and she curls up on his chest once more. He resumes running a hand through her hair, and she's out like a light within minutes.

He watches her sleep, a troubled expression on his face. Even when sleeping, she has a glow about her. Almost like a halo. He's convinced that Elizabeth Cooper is an angel of some sort.

So what does she want with him?

Was her behaviour just a drunken mistake?

He doesn't know. He hopes not, or else it could ruin their friendship. He's not sure he can go back to just being her friend after knowing how it feels to kiss her, something he's thought about many times but never dreamed would actually happen.

But it's selfish of him. She deserves the world and all he can offer her is his dark humour and self deprecating comments. His home life is a wreck, and he can't get too dependent on her because if she leaves then he'll have nothing. She's the one good thing in his life right now; the thing that keeps him going even when FP comes home drunk and tells him that he'll never amount to anything.

Is it worth risking the best thing in his life right now? He isn't sure. He glances at her perfect face, smeared with make up that doesn't become her, and gently kisses her forehead. She subconsciously curls closer to him in her sleep, and he feels his heart swell.

He's in love with her. The one thing he tried not to do.


End file.
